Fine structure and phase composition of Fe-14Mn-1.2C steel:influence of a modified mixture based on refractory metals

The effect of TiO₂, ZrO₂ and Na₃AlF₆ ultrafine powders on the fine structure and the phase composition of Fe-14Mn-1.2C steel was investigated. The introduction of the ultrafine powders into the melt influenced the grain size, the quantity, and the character of distribution of nonmetallic inclusions in the railroad frogs. The microstructure of castings was improved significantly because of the refinement of the grain structure and an increase of the grain-boundary area. After the modifying mixture was introduced into the melt, either the microtwins of one or two intersecting systems or the precipitations of ε-martensite of different types, or simultaneously the microtwins and wafers of ε-martensite, were present in each grain.     

Characterization of NbSi_2–Al_2O_3 nanocomposite coatings prepared with plasma spraying mechanically alloyed powders

The present study characterized NbS i2–Al2O3 nanocomposite powders plasma-sprayed on Ti–6Al–4Vsubstrates. The powders were agglomerated to obtain suitable particle sizes for spraying. The agglomerated powders were then plasma-sprayed using atmospheric plasma spraying. The structural transformations of the powders along with the morphological and mechanical changes of the coatings were examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and hardness testing. The results showed that after plasma spraying, the grain size increased, and the lattice strain decreased. However, the grain size of this compound after spraying was still in the nanometer range. The coating was uniform and exhibited good adhesion to the substrate. The microhardness and fracture toughness of the nanocomposite coating were higher than those of a nanostructured NbS i2 coating.     

Preparation and characterizat ion of polypropylene/silica composite particl e with interpenetrating network via hot emulsion sol–gel approach

A novel interpenetrating structural ultrafine polypropylene-silica nanocomposite particles were synthesized by a modified sol–gel approach in the presence of the melt polypropylene emulsion. A series of samples with different polypropylene content was prepared to investigate the unique characteristics of this original nanocomposite. The thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the nanocomposites had the interpenetrating structure and good thermal stability,and the crystallization behavior of polypropylene was confined by the silica matrix. The interpenetrating structure of nanocomposites was also suggested by the nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement results. The scanning electronic microscope and transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the nanocomposites had irregular particle morphology. The nanoparticle tracking analysis results show that the mean size of the nanocomposites was around 160 nm. According to the results obtained from different measurements,a reasonable formation mechanism was proposed.     

Kinetics of discontinuous precipitation in Cu–20Ni–20Mn alloy

The morphology and growth kinetics of discontinuous precipitation (DP) in a Cu–20Ni–20Mn alloy were investigated in the temperature range of 523–673 K by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. A lamellar mixed structure consisting of alternating lamellae of a matrix and NiMn phase was observed in DP colonies. The volume fraction of regions formed by a DP reaction was determined by quantitative metallographic measurements. The kinetics of DP was evaluated on the basis of the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov equation, which resulted in a time exponent of approximately 1.5. We confirmed that the nucleation of the discontinuous precipitate was confined to grain edges or boundaries at an early stage of the reaction. The activation energy of DP process was determined to be approximately (72.7 ±7.2) kJ/mol based on the Arrhenius equation; this result suggests that DP is controlled by grain boundary diffusion. The hardness values exhibited good correlation with the volume fraction of DP; this correlation was attributed to the presence of the ordered NiMn phase.     

Densification behavior of mechanically milled Cu–8 at% Cr alloy and its mechanical and electrical properties

Synthesis and consolidation behavior of Cu–8 at%Cr alloy powders made by mechanical alloying with elemental Cu and Cr powders,and subsequently,compressive and electrical properties of the consolidated alloys were studied.Solid solubility of Cr in Cu during milling,and subsequent phase transformations during sintering and heat treatment of sintered components were analyzed using X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The milled powders were compacted applying three different pressures(200 MPa,400 MPa and 600 MPa)and sintered in H2atmosphere at 900 1C for 30 min and at 1000 1C for 1 h and 2 h.The maximum densification(92.8%)was achieved for the sample compacted at 600 MPa and sintered for 1000 1C for 2 h.Hardness and densification behavior further increased for the compacts sintered at 900 1C for 30 min after rolling and annealing process.TEM investigation of the sintered compacts revealed the bimodal distribution of Cu grains with nano-sized Cr and Cr2O3precipitation along the grain boundary as well as in grain interior.Pinning of grain boundaries by the precipitates stabilized the fine grain structure in bimodal distribution.     

Influence of clusters in melt on the subsequent glass-formation and crystallization of Fe–Si–B metallic glasses

The liquid structure of seven representative Fe–Si–B alloys has been investigated by ab initio molecular dynamics simulation focusing on the role of clusters in terms of glass-forming ability(GFA) and crystallization. It is demonstrated that the type of primary phase precipitated from amorphous state under heat treatment is determined by the relative fraction and role of various clusters in melt. The alloy melt shows higher stability and resultantly larger GFA when there is no dominant cluster or several clusters coexist, which explains the different GFAs and crystallization processes at various ratios of Si and B in the Fe–Si–B system. The close correlation among clusters, crystalline phase and GFA is also studied.     

Effects of solidification parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of continuous columnar-grained Cu–Al–Ni alloy

Effects of melt temperature and casting speed on microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-14%Al-3.8%Ni(mass fraction) alloy wires fabricated by continuous unidirectional solidification technology were investigated.It was found that the average size of columnar grain in the alloy decreased and grain boundary turned clear and straight with increasing the casting speed at a given melt temperature.When the melt temperature was up to 1 280℃,theβ_1 phase gradually transformed into lozenged and lanciformγ...     

Casting structure of pure aluminum by electric pulse modification at different superheated temperatures

Electric pulse modification (EPM) is a novel technique that reduces grain size by altering the structure of a melt. It was investigated that the response of the casting structure of high pure aluminum to EPM in different superheated melts. The results indicate that the grain refining effect of a given pulse electric field holds an optimal temperature range, moreover, a lower or higher superheated temperature will both disadvantage the improvements of casting structure. It essentially lies in the cooperative action between the distorted absorption of clusters and the activated capability of atoms in the aluminum melt.     

Effect of Yb_2O_3 doping on the grain boundary of NiFe_2O_4–10NiO-based cermets after sintering

xY b2O3–15(20Ni–Cu)/(85- x)(NiF e2O4–10NiO)(x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 2.0, and 10.0) cermets for aluminum electrolysis were prepared to investigate the effect of Yb2O3 doping on the grain boundary of the cermets after sintering. The results showed that each interface was very clear and that with increasing Yb2O3 content, most of the Yb was evenly distributed at the grain boundary. Moreover, according to the phase composition and microstructural analysis by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(SEM/EDX), and electron probe microanalysis(EPMA), YbF eO 3 was produced along the grain boundary. The YbF eO 3 was concluded to not only have formed from the interaction between the NiF e2O4 or Fe2O3 component and Yb2O3 at the grain boundary of the cermets, but also from the decomposition of NiF e2O4 into NiO and Fe2O3 and the subsequent reaction of Fe2O3 with Yb2O3. Thus, the production of YbF eO 3 resulted in a cermet with high relative density, good electrical conductivity, and good corrosion resistance.     

Effect of Yb2O3 doping on the grain boundary of NiFe2O4–10NiO-based cermets after sintering

xYb2O3–15(20Ni–Cu)/(85?x)(NiFe2O4–10NiO) (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 2.0, and 10.0) cermets for aluminum electrolysis were prepared to investigate the effect of Yb2O3 doping on the grain boundary of the cermets after sintering. The results showed that each interface was very clear and that with increasing Yb2O3 content, most of the Yb was evenly distributed at the grain boundary. Moreover, according to the phase composition and microstructural analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), YbFeO3 was produced along the grain boundary. The YbFeO3 was concluded to not only have formed from the interaction between the NiFe2O4 or Fe2O3 component and Yb2O3 at the grain boundary of the cermets, but also from the decomposition of NiFe2O4 into NiO and Fe2O3 and the subsequent reaction of Fe2O3 with Yb2O3. Thus, the pro-duction of YbFeO3 resulted in a cermet with high relative density, good electrical conductivity, and good corrosion resistance.     

Effect of alloying elements and processing parameters on the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect of Al–Mg alloys

The effects of alloying elements and processing parameters on the mechanical properties and Portevin–Le Chatelier effect of Al–Mg alloys developed for inner auto body sheets were investigated in detail. Tensile testing was performed in various Zn and Mg contents under different annealing and cold-rolling conditions. In the results, the stress drop and reloading time of serrations increase with increasing plastic strain and exhibit a common linear relationship. The increase rates of stress drop and reloading time increase with increasing Mg or Zn content. The alloys with a greater intensity of serrated yielding generally exhibit a greater elongation. The stress drop and reloading time of serrations decrease with increasing grain size in the case of the annealed samples. The cold-rolled sample exhibits the most severe serration because it initially contains a large number of grain boundaries and dislocations.     

Microstructural evolution of ternary Ag33Cu42Ge25 eutectic alloy inside ultrasonic field

Ultrasonic field with a frequency of 20 k Hz is introduced into the solidification process of ternary Ag33Cu42Ge25 eutectic alloy from the sample bottom to its top. The ultrasound stimulates the nucleation of alloy melt and prevents its bulk undercooling. At low ultrasound power of 250 W,the primary ε2phase in the whole alloy sample grows into non-faceted equiaxed grains, which differs to its faceted morphology of long strip under static condition. The pseudobinary(Ag t ε2) eutectic transits from dendrite shape grain composed of rod type eutectic to equiaxed chrysanthemus shape formed by lamellar structure. By contrast, the ultrasound produces no obvious variation in the morphology of ternary(Ag t Ge t ε2) eutectic except a coarsening effect. When ultrasound power rises to 500 W, divorced ternary(Ag t Ge t ε2) eutectic forms at the sample bottom. However, in the upper part, the ultrasonic energy weakens, and it only brings about prominent refining effect to primary ε2phase.The microstructural evolution mechanism is investigated on the cavitation, acoustic streaming and acoustic attenuation.     

Investigations of a nanostructured FeMnSi shape memory alloy produced via severe plastic deformation

Low-cost iron-based shape memory alloys (SMAs) show great potential for engineering applications. The developments of new processing techniques have recently enabled the production of nanocrystalline materials with improved properties. These developments have opened avenues for newer applications for SMAs. The influence of severe plastic deformation induced by the high-speed high-pressure torsion (HSHPT) process on the microstructural evolution of an Fe–Mn–Si–Cr alloy was investigated. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of the alloy revealed the existence of nanoscale grains with an abundance of stacking faults. The high density of dislocations characteristic of severe plastic deformation was not observed in this alloy. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the presence of ε-martensite with an HCP crystal structure and γ-phase with an FCC structure.     

Microstructural study and numerical simulation of phase decomposition of heat treated Co–Cu alloys

The influence of heat treatment on the phase decomposition and the grain size of Co–10 at% Cu alloy were studied. Few samples were aged in a furnace for either 3 or 5 h and then quenched in iced water. The materials and phase compositions were investigated using energy dispersive spectrometry and X-ray diffraction techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the samples contained Co, Cu, Cu O, Co Cu2O3, Co Cu O2 phases in different proportions depending on the heat treatment regimes. The formation of dendrite Co phase rendered the spinodal decomposition while the oxidations prevent the initiation of the spinodal decomposition even for a deep long aging inside the miscibility gap.Since the Bragg reflections from different phases of Co–Cu alloy significantly overlap, the crystal structural parameters were refined with FULLPROF program. The shifts in the refined lattice constants(a, b and c), the space group and the grain size were found to be phase- and heat treatment-dependant. Two-dimensional computer simulations were conducted to study the phase decomposition of Co–Cu binary alloy systems.The excess free energy as well as the strain energy, without a priori knowledge of the shape or the position of the new phase, was precisely evaluated. The results indicate that the morphology and the shape of the microstructure agree with SEM observation.     

Simulation of macrosegregation in a 36-t steel ingot using a multiphase model

Macrosegregation is the major defect in large steel ingots caused by solute partitioning and melt convection during casting. In this study,a three-phase(liquid, columnar dendrites, and equiaxed grains) model is proposed to simulate macrosegregation in a 36-t steel ingot. A supplementary set of conservation equations are employed in the model such that two types of equiaxed grains, either settling or adhering to the solid shell, are well simulated. The predicted concentration agrees quantitatively with the experimental value. A negative segregation cone was located at the bottom owing to the grain settlement and solute-enriched melt leaving from the mushy zone. The interdendritic liquid flow was carefully analyzed, and the formation of A-type segregations in the mid-height of the ingot is discussed. Negative segregation was observed near the riser neck due to the specific relationship between flow direction and temperature gradient. Additionally, the as-cast macrostructure of the ingot is presented, including the grain size distribution and columnar–equiaxed transition.     

Preparation of in situ and ex situ reinforced Fe–10Cr–1Cu–1Ni–1Mo–2C containing NbC particles by milling and hot pressing

An in situ and ex situ reinforced powder metallurgy(PM) steel was prepared by the combination of high-energy ball milling and subsequent hot pressing of elemental mixed powders of Fe–10Cr–1Cu–1Ni–1Mo–2C by mass with the addition of Nb C particles. A 40-h milling pretreatment makes the powder particles nearly equiaxed with an average diameter of ~8 μm, and the ferrite grain size is refined to ~6 nm. The sintered density reaches 99.0%–99.7% of the theoretical value when the sintering is conducted at temperatures greater than 1000°C for 30 min. In the sintered bulk specimens, the formation of an in situ M7C3(M = Cr, Fe, Mo) phase is confirmed. M7C3 carbides with several hundred nanometers in size are uniformly distributed in the matrix. Some ultra-fine second phases of 50–200 nm form around the ex situ Nb C and in situ M7C3 particles. The sintered steel exhibits an excellent combination of hardness( Hv 500) and compressive strength(2100–2420 MPa).     

Formation of ε-Fe_XN/BN magnetic nanocomposite and itsthermodynamic and kinetic analyses

A nanocomposite of nanometer-sized magnetic granular ε-Fe-XN embedded in a nonmagnetic amorphous boron nitride matrix was prepared by ball milling mixture of α-Fe and hexagonal boron nitride in argon atmosphere. The grain size of the ε-Fe-XN alloy was about 10-20 nm. The nitrogen concentration in the ε-Fe-XN alloy increases with extending milling time. Both thermodynamic calculation and the present experiment show that iron and nitrogen atoms have higher alloying driving force than iron and boron atoms. Analyses of thermodynamics and kinetics about formation of the ε-Fe-XN alloy suggested that the formation of the ε-Fe-XN alloy is related to amorphization of the hexagonal boron nitride and refinement of the α-Fe. It was found from the present experiment that a critical grain size of the α-Fe reacting with nitrogen in the amorphous boron nitride is about 8 nm.     

Influence of chitosan characteristics on the properties of biopolymeric chitosan–montmorillonite

Chitosan–montmorillonite is a modified montmorillonite in which the sodium ions in montmorillonite layers are replaced by biopolymeric chitosan. The effects of characteristics of chitosan (i.e. molecular weight and degree of deacetylation) and the chitosan/montmorillonite mass ratio on the properties of chitosan–montmorillonite were investigated. Thermogravimetric analysis, zeta potential and X-ray diffraction results confirmed intercalation of chitosan into montmorillonite layers. An interaction between chitosan and montmorillonite was revealed by FTIR and the zeta potential. The amount of chitosan intercalated into the montmorillonite layers depended on the characteristics of chitosan, with the largest amounts of intercalated chitosan achieved by addition of chitosan with a molecular weight of 71,000 g/mol or a degree of deacetylation of 80% at a fixed chitosan/montmorillonite mass ratio of 2:1. The resulting chitosan–montmorilllonite had good adsorbent properties, especially for adsorption of cationic dyes, and also inhibited E. coli by almost 100%. The chitosan–montmorillonite may be useful as a functional material for dye adsorption and antibacterial applications.     

Microstructural analyses of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys welded by pulsed Nd: YAG laser welding

Revealing grains and very fine dendrites in a solidified weld metal of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys is difficult and thus,there is no evidence to validate the micro-and meso-scale physical models for hot cracks. In this research, the effect of preheating on the microstructure and hot crack creation in the pulsed laser welding of AA 6061 was investigated by an optical microscope and field emission electron microscopy. Etching was carried out in the gas phase using fresh Keller's reagent for 600 s. The results showed that the grain size of the weld metal was proportional to the grain size of the base metal and was independent of the preheating temperature. Hot cracks passed the grain boundaries of the weld and the base metal. Lower solidification rates in the preheated samples led to coarser arm spacing; therefore, a lower cooling rate. Despite the results predicted by the micro and meso-scale models, lower cooling rates resulted in increased hot cracks. The cracks could grow in the weld metal after solidification; therefore, hot cracks were larger than predicted by the hot crack prediction models.     

Corrosion behavior of Mg–Y alloy in NaCl aqueous solution

The corrosion behavior of Mg–(0.25, 2.5, 5, 8 and 15)Y alloys in 3.5wt.% NaCl aqueous solution was investigated. It was found that the degree of corrosion deterioration increased with increasing immersion time up to 2 h. Corrosion modes for the alloys with low and high content of Y element were general corrosion and pitting corrosion, respective ly, and the threshold content for the corrosion mode change was 2.5% for the tested alloys. The experimental results showed that the addition of Y refined the grain of the alloy, and the distribution, i.e., continuous or not, of the Mg24Y5 phases had great effect on the corrosion rate and corrosion mode.